Automatic free cabin upgrades always for those with multiple Princess cruises?

[Time For Dreaming]

Is it true that once someone has completed a certain number of cruises on Princess, they get automatic free cabin upgrades?

 

For example, if you book a balcony you will automatically get a free upgrade to a mini-suite. Book an interior, automatic free to an oceanview.

 

Someone told us about this but we can't find anything on the Princess website that says how many cruises.

 

Thanks all.

[billco]

Your name is the answer to your question.

[Ethel5]

"Someone" was wrong.

 

If you read the boards you will find that people with multi cruises crab that first timers get upgrades. First timers crab that multi cruisers get upgrades. There is no rhyme or reason for upgrades. Sometimes, if you are celebrating a special event-honeymoon, anniversary etc, they might give an upgrade. The best advice is to book a cabin in which you'll be happy.

[Time For Dreaming]

We didn't want to question the friend directly who told us this, but it didn't sound right. Why some people need to exaggerate, who knows. This is why Cruise Critic is such a valuable source of information.

 

Thank you!

[Pam in CA]

Upgrades are done by Yield Management and are based on supply and demand. Sometimes, there are promos with an automatic upgrade but that's based on the promotion, not Captain's Circle status.

[caribill]

Sometimes, there are promos with an automatic upgrade but that's based on the promotion, not Captain's Circle status.

 

And those promotions are usually something like "get a balcony for the price of an inside" which translates to book the highest category inside and get the lowest category balcony.

[Bogof1]

Just book the cabin you want, sometimes an upgrade may not actually be an upgrade in your opinion. If you don't care where you are on a ship then do whatever and you may be upgraded. The number of cruises you have taken is not an automatic upgrade. Many people have said on these boards that its first time cruisers who get upgraded....?never happened to us :-)

[denmarks]

I can only tell you my experience. I have received an upgrade almost every time for the past 4-5 cruises. I go as a single and always book the lowest price inside cabin and am usually moved to a better location. For my cruise in October which will count as cruise 15-16 based on cruise credits (2 each for a single) I was upgraded 3 separate times. From a IF inside to a BB balcony.

[FritzG]

We didn't want to question the friend directly who told us this, but it didn't sound right. Why some people need to exaggerate, who knows. This is why Cruise Critic is such a valuable source of information.

 

Thank you!

 

Exaggerations like this cause a lot of complaints from people who believe them, and then they are disappointed when it doesn't happen.

 

I'm glad you came to CC to check it out.

Edited June 21, 2014 by FritzG

[paul929207]

Someone posted a while back. She had gotten two couples to cruise with her and her husband. Poster had been on several Princess cruises. Friends were first timers. Both sets of friends got nice upgrades. Poster got nothing.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Just book the cabin you want, sometimes an upgrade may not actually be an upgrade in your opinion. If you don't care where you are on a ship then do whatever and you may be upgraded. The number of cruises you have taken is not an automatic upgrade. Many people have said on these boards that its first time cruisers who get upgraded....?never happened to us :-)

 

A few cruises ago, we started booking the cabin we wanted in the location we wanted and marked our booking "no upgrade" requested. Because what the cruise line might call an "upgrade" won't necessarily be a better cabin for us if we get stuck over the Princess Theater or under a disco or far forward for an itinerary that tends to get rough seas.

 

On my first cruise (with Carnival), we got a category upgrade that put us right under a dining room. Vacuuming late at night. On another cruise, we got an upgrade from an inside to a OV that was fine even though we were moved way to the forward part of the ship.

 

The day before we took our first Princess cruise, we were offered a moveover offer -- postpone our cruise for a few weeks and we'll get a full refund (yes, a full refund) and an upgrade from the lowest category inside to a balcony. We didn't have flights or hotels to change as we live an hour's drive from that port. But we didn't take the offer (we were packed and raring to go, I had the girl's kindergarten homework packet for the week, we weren't interested in the balcony because of our active 5-year-old). I'm sure they found someone who wanted that offer.

 

A few weeks before our last cruise (our fifth with Princess) and we got another moveover offer, again wait a few weeks, but it was only a refund of half the fare. That was the only time we can go on a cruise due to school so we didn't bother.

 

As others have said, it's not based on the number of cruises you've done, but whether you have a cabin that they want to sell to someone else.

[SoCal Cruiser78]

And those promotions are usually something like "get a balcony for the price of an inside" which translates to book the highest category inside and get the lowest category balcony.

 

One of those just ended recently. It was within cabin type. I booked the lowest category outside and got the highest category outside at no extra charge. It also included OBC for a bottle of champagne.

Edited June 21, 2014 by Ryndam2002

[f-mattox]

I've been cruising Princess since 1974 and I've had exactly two upgrades and one I turned down because it was an upgrade in name only.

[SoCal Cruiser78]

A few cruises ago' date=' we started booking the cabin we wanted in the location we wanted and marked our booking "no upgrade" requested. Because what the cruise line might call an "upgrade" won't necessarily be a better cabin for us if we get stuck over the Princess Theater or under a disco or far forward for an itinerary that tends to get rough seas.[/quote']

 

How right you are! I would much rather have a quiet inside midship than an outside or balcony in a noisy location or far forward in rough seas.

[mr green]

"Someone" was wrong.

 

If you read the boards you will find that people with multi cruises crab that first timers get upgrades. First timers crab that multi cruisers get upgrades. There is no rhyme or reason for upgrades. Sometimes, if you are celebrating a special event-honeymoon, anniversary etc, they might give an upgrade. The best advice is to book a cabin in which you'll be happy.

 

We normally 'Book a cabin in which you'll be happy', on our last cruise however we went for 'price only with an upgrade'.

I had given up on the upgrade, but four days before we got a balcony dead mid- ships, in exchange for an obstructed OV as far aft as it was possible to be!!!:)

On the other side of the coin the only other time I asked for an 'upgrade', I turned it down as soon as I saw it.

 

john

[elliair]

"Someone" was wrong.

 

If you read the boards you will find that people with multi cruises crab that first timers get upgrades. First timers crab that multi cruisers get upgrades. There is no rhyme or reason for upgrades. Sometimes, if you are celebrating a special event-honeymoon, anniversary etc, they might give an upgrade. The best advice is to book a cabin in which you'll be happy.

 

Exactly! And not all "upgrades" are really an upgrade. Our last 3 cruises we have been "upgraded." We took the sucker one to the Aloha deck and regretted it. The last two cruises they tried it again on us and we refused the "upgrade." Our upcoming cruise they tried to upgrade us from a Caribe to a Baja midship. IOHO again going from a large balcony to one half the size is IOHO a downgrade. We're staying put on the Caribe and happy with where we are at.

[BrandiGreg]

24 Princess cruises, only one upgrade from outside to a balcony. We now only book guarantee inside (lowest price inside) and ALWAYS get an "upgrade" to a higher category inside. We have never had a cabin we did not like or that was noisy because of ship location. And we don't get seasick, so we are fine at either end. The biggest problem is how noisy the cabins are near you, particularly if they are frequent door-slammers. That is the only sound we hear.:(

[lovevacadays]

Your name is the answer to your question.

 

Too funny!!

 

I typically book the cabin I want and mark it no upgrade. Sometimes an upgrade to Princess is not an upgrade to me. I have booked one guarantee in the past and did get upgraded from an Obstructed Oceanview to an Oceanview on the Plaza deck. It was a good upgrade in my opinion. I booked a guarantee because it was a spur of the moment booking.

[BrandiGreg]

Oh, I also wanted to comment on Moveover offers. We have had only one, last year, to cancel a 14 day Transatlantic, inside cabin, with just 5 days to go. We got in exchange a 28 day Australia cruise in a balcony cabin, with all taxes and insurance paid, the following year (coming up in November!) and all money we had paid refunded in form of cabin credit. So, essentially a $14,000 cruise plus full refund. All we lost was a one way airfare to Copenhagen.....How could we say no? (we did have to bargain on the phone a bit....but they must have been desperate to get people to cancel at that point). Easy to be flexible when retired and I would gladly take any other offers even half this good!

[Nancyquilts]

30+Princess cruises and no upgrades. We even booked a guarantee once and got the lowest of the cabin class available. First Azamara cruise, great upgrade.

[gertz]

We book what we want and let the cards fall and we never had one.

[Renmar]

Exactly! And not all "upgrades" are really an upgrade. Our last 3 cruises we have been "upgraded." We took the sucker one to the Aloha deck and regretted it. The last two cruises they tried it again on us and we refused the "upgrade." Our upcoming cruise they tried to upgrade us from a Caribe to a Baja midship. IOHO again going from a large balcony to one half the size is IOHO a downgrade. We're staying put on the Caribe and happy with where we are at.

 

I agree. This Category OY but according to Princess it is 3 tiers up. It is one of the reasons I created my website.

 

Theo

[KruzPrincess]

I agree. This [ATTACH]316836[/ATTACH] category OV is not an upgrade from this [ATTACH]316837[/ATTACH] Category OY but according to Princess it is 3 tiers up. It is one of the reasons I created my website.

 

Theo

 

Just have to say that I love your website. Thanks so much.

[bigenna]

Just have to say that I love your website. Thanks so much.

 

Me too Renmar. We have had many good "obstructed" OV staterooms due to your site. Thanks so much!

[KarateMan]

Getting an upgrade is hit and miss. On most occasions I have had the cabin I have originally booked in. Princess is very generous. My first cruise with them they upgraded me from the lowest inside to the top inside.

 

Effect = I decided I liked staying on the top decks of the ship better than lower decks so have booked higher insides ever since.

 

I have occasionally booked a balcony cabin. One time with Princess they upgraded me to the top suite on the ship (sadly it was a 2 night repositioning cruise).

 

I have met many people on my travels and have met many people who have cruises getting into the 100's, some of them were still traveling in insides like myself and have never had upgrades.